The Solomon Islands will not compete in the Miss Pacific Islands Pageant 2026 in Fiji, citing unresolved issues stemming from last year’s pageant in Honiara, involving a Samoan pageant judge, Leiataualesa Jerry Brunt.

Last year, Leiataualesa was issued a stop order preventing him from returning to Samoa from the Solomon Islands following the conclusion of the Miss Pacific Islands last year. Leiataualesa was alleged to have rigged the score sheet to allow Miss Samoa Litara Ieremia-Allan to win the Miss Pacific title.

These are claims that Leiataualesa denied. The Miss Pacific Islands organising committee also cleared Leiataualesa of any wrong doing.

In a public statement, the Miss Solomon Islands Pageant Committee confirmed the withdrawal, saying the decision was based on events that unfolded on the final crowning night of the Miss Pacific Islands Pageant 2025, which the Solomon Islands hosted.

“Our Government invested a lot of resources in the Miss Pacific Islands Pageant 2025. In fact, it was one of the biggest Miss Pacific Islands Pageants so far,” the statement said, adding that hosts covered contestants, delegates, and the reigning Miss Pacific Islands 2024/25 Moemoana Schwenke and her team throughout the event.

“However, the incident that transpired on the final crowning night, which implicated the head judge from Samoa, Mr Brunt, for not being transparent in his conduct during the final votes, marred all our hard work and efforts to have a transparent, ethical and fair process for a successful Miss Pacific Islands Pageant 2025,” the statement said.

“It is sad that the Miss Pacific Islands Pageant board has decided to push the issue under the carpet and not deal with Judge Brunt’s action.”

The committee said the events undermined the integrity of the pageant and brought disrepute to the efforts of the government and organisers, warning that the Miss Pacific Islands Pageant should not become a platform for “biasness, nepotism and colourism.”

“Based on the above, we have decided to abide by the Minister of Home Affairs advice not to participate in the Miss Pacific Islands Pageant 2026 until further notice,” the statement said.

The organisers also thanked former Miss Solomon Islands Elsie Polosovai for representing the country at the Miss Pacific Islands Pageant 2025 and expressed hope for a future Miss Melanesia pageant.

According to Solomon Star News, Miss Solomon Islands Pageant Director and Solomon Host Event CEO Joyce Konofilia confirmed the decision, saying it was directly linked to what happened after the Miss Pacific Islands Pageant crowning night on February 8 last year.

“It is because of what happened in the last pageant,” Ms Konofilia told the Solomon Star, adding that her team had sought guidance from the Ministry of Home Affairs but received no response throughout 2025.

Following the crowning of Miss Pacific Islands Litara Ieremia-Alan, allegations of vote discrepancies surfaced, reportedly favouring Miss Tonga 2025 Racheal Guttenbeil. The claims triggered a police investigation into alleged fraudulent activities by pageant judges, with the Minister of Home Affairs issuing a stop notice to detain judges for questioning.

The pageant will return to Fiji after a seven-year hiatus, with confirmed participants including Miss Samoa, Feagaimaali’i Soti Mapu,  followed by Miss Fiji, Peggy Ravuisiro; Miss Papua New Guinea, Iampela Popena; Miss American Samoa, Tofoipupu Unutoa; Miss Tonga, Sioai’ana Patricia Taumoepeau; and Miss Micronesia (Kiribati), Atiterentaai Rinimarawa.

Information and quotations attributed to Solomon Star News.